Collapsible fiberboard container



Ju ne 3, 1947. J. cRAwsHAw 1,

COLLAP SIBLE FIBERBOARD CONTAINER.

Filed Feb. 15, 1944 '4 Sheets-Sheet l IN VENTOR. Jaw/v GRAWSHA w BY fl uh fim N251 June 3, 1947. CRAWSHAW COLLAPSIBLE FIBERBOARD CONTAINER Filed Feb. 15, 1944 4 Sheets-$heet 2 x W, U W w A TfQEA/EY June 3, 1947. J. CRAWSHAW COLLAPSIBLE FIBERBOARD CONTAINER Filed Feb. 15, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 wk mwmxh Patented June 3, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GOLLAPSIBLE FIBERBO ARD CONTAINER John Grawshaw, New. York, N. Y., assignor of one-half to Bjornulf J ohnsen, New Yrk,.N. Y.

Application February 15, 1944, Serial No; 522,420

1 Claim.

This invention relates to containers, and'more particularly to containers of paper or paper board which may be readily formed by a stamping or cutting operation from a flat sheet and which stacked in packages of relatively small size for storage and shipment, but whereof the several parts may be readily moved into operative positions and quickly secured to form a closed container; for example, a hat box, or the like.

The primary object of the present invention is a container formed of a minimum number of parts, the major portion of which may be cut from a single sheet and all of the parts being formed by a simple cutting or stamping operation.

Another object of the invention is a container so formed that it can be readil assembled into a closed container.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a container construction involving a minimum number of operations and a minimum number of parts.

Yet another object of the invention is a container construction requiring a minimum number of mechanical fastening devices in the assembled condition and in which the use of adhesives is avoided.

Yet another object of the invention is a container formed from a flat sheet which can be assembled with a curved wall; for instance, cylindrical or oval.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a container which is practical from the standpoint of ease and cheapness of manufacture, convenience in storage and celerity in assembly.

These and other objects of the invention and the means to their attainment will be more apparent from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, illustrating one embodiment by which the invention may be realized and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing one form taken by the container of this invention, in fully assembled and operative condition;

Figure 2 is aview looking from above in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view looking from below in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken in the plane indicated by the lines 4-4 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional View taken in the plane indicated by lines 5-5 of Figure l and showing details of construction;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view taken in the plane indicated by the lines 6-6 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure '7 is a plan view showing the blank from which the main body and bottom of the container is formed;

Figure 8 is. a plan view showing the top or cover for the container;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary View in transverse section taken in the plane indicated by the lines 99 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows and showing particularly a permissive form taken by the fastening device of this invention.

Referring first'to Figure 7, a container blank is there shown consisting of an elongated rectangular wall portion l-2 adapted to form the side of the container. The blank, so shown, is cut or stamped from a fiat sheet in one operation. On the one side edge M of the blank it will be noted that curvilinear cuts 16 are made which form approaching. arcuate-slots, the ends of which define the ends of i a straight line of fold l8 separating partially from the blank a portion of the periphery of a substantially circular or disc-like element 2!] which, in the finished product, will serve as the bottom portion of the container. The disc 20. is formed with two spaced tabs 22 approximately one hundred and twenty degrees from one another and from the line of fold it. On opposite ends of the side edge of the wall element I22 are elongated slots 24 spaced inwardly from the side edge M of the wall member a distance equal to the distance of the-line 0f fold to from said edge 14. These slots 24 are so spaced as to receive thetabsZZ when the ends of the wall element- [2 are brought together to form a cylinder.

Along the lower or opposite edge 28 of the wall element. are two tabs 39 which are formed with slots 32, the inner edges of the slots 32 coincide substantially with the projection of the edge 28 of the wall element on that side.

The respective ends of the wall element are provided with registering apertures 36, 3'5, the aperture 3! being so positioned as to lie nearer the edge l4 than the slots 24 so that when the blank is assembled into a cup-shaped member the fastening. device in the aperture 131 will be below the bottom of the container.

The first step in the assembly of the container is to bend the bottom element 20 upwardly (as viewed in Figure 7) into a plane perpendicular to the plane of the wall element I2, and then form the wall element into a cylindrical form with the two free tabs 22 on the bottom passed through and in the slots 24 respectively to be thus adjacent to the edge H! on which the container is to stand. The construction so described is illustrated in Figure 6 where it will be seen that the overlapping ends 26 and 2'1 of the wall member are so positioned that the apertures 31 in these ends are respectively in register, and as viewed in Figures 3 and 6 are held together by a fastening device. Such fastening device is illustrated as a button so which on the inside is formed with a threaded portion 44, a threaded screw member on the outside comprising a head 42 carrying a threaded shank 45 which passes through the apertures 31 in the registering wall ends and is threaded into the button 40 on the inside, as shown in greater detail in Figure 9. A similar button is used in the registering apertures 36 to unite the upper edge 28 of the container as shown in Figure 4. Thus, a box or cup shaped container of generally cylindrical form and considerable rigidity is formed and lacks only a cover to complete the enclosure.

It will be noted that the wall element [2 is formed with tabs 36 along the edge 28. These tabs 30 are positioned approximately one-quarter the way in from the ends '26 and 27 so that when the wall element assumes a cylindrical form the tabs 30 are diametrically disposed. Slots 32 are formed in the tabs 30 and so positioned that their inner side edges 34- are in prolongation of the side edge 28.

A cover is provided in the form of a separate disc which may be stamped as shown in Figure 8 from material which may be similar to that of the container element and of a diameter equal to twice the radial distance of the outer edge of the tab 22 from its center. On diametrically opposite sides, the disc is cut away to provide two notches 48 diametrically disposed with respect to one another and defining tabs 59 between each pair of notches. This cover may be affixed to the open top of the container by first placing one tab of the cover through a slot 32 in tab 30, then forcing the opposite wall slightly outwardly until the other tab on the cover may readily slide into the opposite slot 32 in tab 30. As shown in Figure 1 the cover is thus held in position and the contents of the box are protected. The cover may thus be easily applied when required to complete the package.

A convenient method of carrying the box is illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 4 where a pair of cords, tapes or ribbons 56 are passed through apertures 33 diametrically opposite one another in the walls of the box and proximate the upper edge thereof, the ends of the cord, tapes or ribbons being suitably secured on the inside of the wall as will be understood. The ends of the tapes may then be drawn upwardly and against the protruding tabs 59 of the cover and over the top of tabs 30 and may be tied together, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, not only to prevent accidental removal of the cover but also to afford a handle by which the box can be conveniently carried. Thus the tapes when tied automatically lock the container closed.

While a fastening device 40, 42, 44, 45 has been illustrated throughout the drawings, it will be readily understood that any suitable fastening device may be utilized to secure the adjacent ends of the wall together. Such fastening devices may take the form of common staples or the common so-called round headed paper fasteners consisting of a head and a pair of prongs Which, after being passed through the apertures 36 and 31, may be then bent away from one another in the opposite directions to hold the united part between the head thereof on the one hand and the oppositely directed prongs on the other hand.

It will thus be seen that a container has been provided which has been stamped out of a flat blank and comprises essentially only two separate parts; to wit, a main element to form the bottom and sides of one unit and a second unit to comprise a cover element. Such two parts may be shipped and stored flat, taking up little room either in packages of parts in shipment or in storage on the shelves of a dealer.

Various modifications will occur to those skilled in the art in the composition, configuration and disposition of the component elements going to make up the invention as a whole as well, as in its several parts and no limitation is intended by the phraseology of the foregoing description or illustrations in the accompanying drawing except as indicated in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A container blank whereof to form a cylindrical container, said blank comprising a flat sheetlike elongated, substantially rectangular member adapted to form the wall member of the container, said wall member comprising means to removably support the container bottom, said rectangular member comprising a substantially circular bottom portion substantially outwardly of the edge of the wall member and partially severed from the wall portion by curved spaced slots formed in the edge portion of the rectangular member and directed toward one another and whereof th inner ends terminate in the line of the container bottom supporting means, said bottom comprising means coacting with the said means to support the container bottom, the opposite edge of the container wall being formed with spaced tabs, said tabs being formed with slots in the line of the said opposite edge and a cover member formed in its periphery with at least two pairs of notches defining tabs therebetween to be received in the last-named slots.

JOHN CRAWSHAW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,216,391 Allen Feb. 20, 1917 1,992,390 Owens Feb. 26, 1935 676,653 Finley June 18, 1901 1,545,771 Hout July 14, 1925 880,952 Yarnall Mar. 3, 1908 1,803,239 Deane Apr. 28, 1931 1,129,364 Silveira Feb. 23,1915 1,300,164 Guardin Apr. 8, 1919 225,978 Goodnow Mar. 30, 1880 

